The Assassins
by Sabre1
Summary: Its after the war and Heero is again working with Duo Maxwell. After living together for a while, his feelings for Duo become stronger. 2x1. COMPLETE
1. Prologue

Title : The Assassins  
  
Feedback : Always appreciated ^_^  
  
Pairings : 2x1 and whichever I come up with on the way. Remember, this is a work in progress.  
  
Disclaimer : Unfortunatly I am not rich enough to own these boys *sigh*  
  
Rating : As of right now, PG 13 but this is subject to change  
  
Warning : yaoi....hehe and thats it for now. I may go OOC.  
  
  
  
Prologue  
  
  
  
How long had it been? He could barely remember. The war had ended and the five pilots had gone their separate ways. But just how long had it been since he had seen Duo Maxwell last? Heero smiled to himself. A smile he rarely let anyone see. He could still remember the self proclaimed Shinigami's goodbye. He had waved at Heero, the last one to say goodbye and Heero had watched him walk out of his life. He was guessing it had been at least five years now, but he had been so busy working for the Assassins that time had kind of blurred together.  
  
The Assassins was a group of vigilantes that worked to destroy the now growing threat of S.I.N. S.I.N. liked to take all the natural resources out of the ground and sell them to the colonies. The group that Heero worked for went around and blew up the plants, hoping to stop S.I.N. The colonies would eventually run out of money and the earth would be out of recourses. What then?  
  
He hadn't wanted to join up with another vigilante effort, but he had felt so…empty after the war. He tried going to school and getting a real job, but it just wasn't the same. He needed the adrenaline rush every once in a while. Just when he was about to quit, he was contacted by an anonymous source. From then on he was given information about the group. It turned out that they had been following him for some time. Not directly, but through news reports and such about the gundam attacks. After the war they had watched him closely. He almost smirked thinking about how good the group had to be to get watch him undetected.  
  
Now it was time for Duo to join. He had been contacted and now was going to meet Heero in the parking garage where he was now. He turned around as he heard footsteps behind him. He could already tell it was him; his long braid was now much longer, almost touching the ground.  
  
"I'm here. What is this about?"  
  
"Duo Maxwell, you need to come with me."  
  
Duo stopped cold. "I know that voice anywhere. Heero?"  
  
"Yes Duo, it's me. I've been ordered to take you to a secret location. You will be given more information there." He opened the door of a nearby car. "Please, get it."  
  
He obediently got into the car. "Heero, what are you doing here? It's been so long since I've seen you. Are the other pilots going to be there?"  
  
"No Duo, it's just you and me right now. The others might join later but that is entirely up to the leaders of the group. Now, no more questions until we get to our location."  
  
They reached the place where Duo was to be informed of the reason why he had been contacted to mysteriously. The Assassins couldn't be caught. They were rumored, but that was all. That was how it should be. Soon Duo had joined and they were on their first mission together. The leader, Johnson, suggested they work together since they had in the past. It seemed to Heero that Duo had joined very readily. He hadn't asked but he had the feeling that Duo had been going through the same thing he had.  
  
Deep down Heero was very happy to be able to work with Duo. The missions were always successful when they worked together. It was soon decided that it would be a good idea for them to move in together, that way they could discuss missions together and not worry about phone taps or being followed. They were becoming closer. Heero was more open with his feelings when he was with Duo. He didn't know how or why, but he felt at ease when Duo was around. Even happy. Heero Yuy hadn't felt happy in a long time. He didn't think he had ever been as happy as he was now.  
  
A year had passed and The Assassins had wiped out over half of the plants. They were more and more successful each day. S.I.N. couldn't build replacements fast enough and was losing money. They had already stopped sales by over 75% and the environment was being slowly replenished by independent planet protection agencies. Everything was going well for Heero Yuy. 


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1  
  
Heero Yuy sat on the couch reading a book. It had been two years since   
the Vigilantes had separated. S.I.N. was no longer in power, so there   
wasn't any need for them anymore. Even so, Heero and Duo had continued   
to live together. There wasn't any reason not to. They could afford it   
between them and frankly neither had any other place to go. Duo often   
joked about getting a place of his own, but deep down Heero thought that   
Duo enjoyed his time with Heero. He knew he did. His feelings for the   
Shinigami had grown to the deepest feeling of friendship he had ever   
experienced. It was odd. Heero Yuy having a friend. He had never let   
anyone that deep into himself; to feel how he did about Duo was something   
completely new. He was very happy just spending the day with him.   
He often acted annoyed at him, but that was just how things had always   
been. Duo made a joke; Heero smirked and made a comment.  
  
They were working to help the colonies that needed it. Some of them had   
become so dependent on the recourses they had gotten from S.I.N. that   
they were no longer able to produce their own. It wasn't much money but   
between them it was enough.  
  
Duo came through the door carrying groceries. Heero got up to help him   
put them away. "There was a phone call for you from Mr. Jordan today.   
He said he needed you to call him back as soon as you could." Mr. Jordan   
was the head of the effort to help the colonies.  
  
"Did he? Well I suppose I should do it then." Duo went over and dialed   
the phone. Heero was curious to know what this was about. They hardly   
ever got a call directly from Mr. Jordan. He figured it was something   
important but he distracted himself with the groceries nonetheless to   
keep from eavesdropping.  
  
Duo hung up the phone. "Well I've got some news. I've been told I have   
to go into space to give direct help to a colony that's having some real   
problems."  
  
Heero looked up. Why was Duo going into space and not him? Why not both   
of them? He kept his cool exterior "When do you have to leave?"  
  
"Tonight. I've got to go pack." Duo grinned and headed for the bedroom.   
'He must be very happy,' Heero thought. Duo hadn't been in space in a   
long time, and he often talked about how he missed it.  
  
"How long will you be gone?"  
  
"He said it could be anywhere from a week to a month. The colony is   
doing really badly. There are reports of sections running out of power   
and losing oxygen." Heero came as close to tears as he ever had. They   
had seen each other every day for the past three years and now Duo would   
be gone for a month. The house would feel so empty without him. Duo   
must have read his thoughts. "It won't be that long Heero. I'll try   
go finish quickly so you won't have to be alone."  
  
"Don't worry about me. There are lives at stake and I don't want me   
distracting you from doing your job. I've been alone before." He   
watched Duo dart from the closet to his bed, packing things into his suit   
case. Duo just looked at him and smiled.  
  
"Alright Heero. Just try not to get too bored without me." He grinned.   
He zipped closed the final suit case. "Are you going to come see me   
off?"  
"Of course." They headed out of the house. The drive was short.   
Too short. Heero wanted that drive to last forever. 'Get a hold of   
yourself Yuy. It's not going to be that long. A month, no more he said.'   
But why did he have a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach? He tried to   
push it down as he helped Duo with his bags. They walked over to where   
Duo was to get onto his shuttle.  
  
"Well Heero, I guess its bye for now." He smiled at him and walked for   
the entrance. Heero wanted to say goodbye. Desperately wanted to tell   
him to get back as soon as he could, but finally managed to get himself   
into his perfect soldier mode. He nodded at Duo's back. "Goodbye   
Maxwell. I hope everything goes well." Heero walked over to the window.   
He saw Duo get on the shuttle. It began to take off. He couldn't help   
but put his hand against the glass as it flew into the sky. 


	3. Chapter 2

This story has now officially gone AU. I also wish to note that I have seen one episode with Hilde in it, so forgive me if she's OOC.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Heero took the long, lonely drive home. He kept telling himself it wasn't going to be that bad. It was only a month. Maybe not even that. But that bad feeling kept coming back. Something was going to happen. He didn't know why he felt that way. He just pushed it away and walked into his apartment.  
  
He put his key's down and closed the door. It was quiet. Too quiet. He turned on the radio and lay down on the couch. He needed a nap to take his mind off of the emptiness that would be there to stay. He closed his eyes and let himself drift off into nothingness.  
  
~*~  
  
Duo Maxwell stepped off of the shuttle. He was so happy to just be back in space. He had missed it. He looked around for the person he was to meet. Her name was Hilde and apparently had worked with the same agency that he did for some time now. He always liked meeting new people and had always been a trusting person. He saw the sign he had been looking for and walked towards it. Holding it was an attractive young woman about his age. She had short black hair and was wearing a green sweater and a pair of jeans. It seemed she just saw him. Eyes immediately going to the long braid. He chuckled. It was usually the first thing people noticed. She looked back at his face. "Duo Maxwell?"  
  
"That's me. I hope I'm on time. Wouldn't like to keep a lady waiting." She smiled back at him. 'Still got it Maxwell.'  
  
"I'm Hilde Schbeiker. We're going to be working together from now on Duo. I hope you can work hard." She winked at him. He realized being away from Heero wasn't going to be as hard as he thought it would.  
  
He began following her to her car. "It's been assigned that we'll be living together until you have to leave. Is that alright with you?"  
  
"It's fine. I'm glad I won't have to be living alone. It just wouldn't be the same after living with Heero for so long."  
  
"Heero? Is that you're boyfriend?"  
  
"You're rather direct. No, he's just someone I work with. I guess you'd call him my closest friend."  
  
"I'm sorry. I'm sure you won't think about Heero at all while you're here." He almost raised his eyebrows at her. "I mean, you're going to be working so hard. This colony isn't doing well. I'm sure you've heard a bit, but it's only the tip of the iceberg. You may find yourself here longer than you expect."  
  
They reached the place where Duo assumed he was staying. It was a cozy little place. She led him to a small room. "This is where you'll be sleeping. I know it's not very big but mine is just as small. It's the best the company can do right now."  
  
He gave her a reassuring smile. "It's alright. I've lived in worse as a kid." He felt his stomach grumbling and looked at his watch. Almost seven o clock. "Hey Hilde," he put one of his bags on the bed. "How 'bout you and I get to know each other better over dinner? My treat."  
  
~*~  
  
Heero woke up a few hours later. He was looking at the clock when he heard his stomach start growling. It was almost eight. He got up and looked in the fridge. Plenty of food but he remembered he was only cooking for one. He sighed and got out a frozen dinner. He popped it in the microwave and turned on the TV. After a few minutes of surfing he found a news special that looked mildly interesting. The show ended and Heero decided he should go to bed. Tomorrow he would have work to distract him. Tomorrow he would call Duo. 


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
It had been two months. Two months of being alone in his and Duo's apartment. Heero had to keep himself from calling everyday; he had already read their entire book collection and was spending more and more time on the internet. In chat rooms he could pretend he was in another place and was another person for a while. He just wanted Duo to be home again.  
  
When he did call, Duo never had much time to talk. He either had more work to do or had to go run some errands. He seemed to be getting along with his partner; a girl named Hilde. They were living together and he said he really enjoyed her company. The last time they had talked, two weeks ago, Duo and Hilde were going out to get dinner. How often had he and Duo gone out together? Heero could count the times on one hand. Not that they needed to. Heero was a good cook and he liked making Duo's favorites.  
  
Heero sat down and logged on. It was five o clock, the usual time he made his appearance. He had chosen the screen name Solo. Why he had chosen the name of Duo's childhood friend, he couldn't say. He had only been in the chat for five minutes when a private chat window popped up.  
  
AryoAndine16: Hello Solo.  
  
Solo: Hello.  
  
AryoAndine16: I've been watching you chat and you seem interesting.  
  
Solo: Oh?  
  
The chat continued for some time. Heero found he could really relate to this person. He looked at the clock, it was already almost 11. Where had the time gone? He said his goodbyes and signed off. He sighed and walked towards the bedroom to get ready for bed.  
  
~*~  
  
Duo Maxwell stepped out of the restaurant, holding the door for Hilde. He was beginning to get real feelings for her. They always had a really good time and she seemed like she really wanted to help the colonies. They had been working very hard. He hoped he could get back home soon. The colony was doing much better. He wanted to see Heero. He knew he must be fine though. It was Heero, the perfect soldier, he doubted he got lonely.  
  
They walked down the street towards their apartment. He knew he would be sad to see Hilde go, but he was happy for her at the same time. She missed her family; she was always talking about her dad and what a great pilot he was. He had been killed in the war; another senseless casualty. Duo never mentioned how involved he was. He was afraid it would hurt Hilde, so he just kept quiet.  
  
They reached the apartment and Duo opened the door for her. "Ladies first." He grinned at her. She smiled back.  
  
"Well I'm going to bed." She turned and went into her bedroom. Duo sighed. It was hard having a woman around. It had been so long without feeling a delicate touch from someone. He really wanted to talk to Heero right then. Just have a nice conversation. He was always so busy so they never had much time and it was always Heero doing all the calling. Tomorrow after work he would have to call him.  
  
~*~  
  
Heero was just walking in the door when the phone rang.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hey Heero! It's me!"  
  
"Duo?"  
  
"Yeah! I figured it had been a while since we really talked so I thought I should give you a ring."  
  
"It's good to hear from you Duo. How are things going at the colony?"  
  
"Really good. Things are starting to get back on track. I might be coming home soon."  
  
"Well that's good news."  
  
They kept talking. Heero mostly listening, savoring his time with Duo. He couldn't wait until he got home. 


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
  
Heero turned on his computer. It was Saturday and he was really bored, so he went into his usual chat. Almost immediately a private chat window popped up. It was the same person he had been chatting with the whole three weeks since Heero had last spoken with Duo. He felt like he could just let everything out to this person. It was so nice having another human, wherever they may be on the planet, to talk to. They chatted for a while when they finally found out that they lived in the same town. He wanted to meet Heero. He was more than apprehensive, he knew he could be chatting with anyone, but, in the back of his mind, he wanted to meet the person he had been telling everything to. He decided to throw caution to the wind and set up a meeting time.  
  
~*~  
  
Duo just kind of stared at Hilde. She had just hit him with a very difficult decision. She asked him to stay. Even after the colony was completely back on its feet she wanted him to move in with her. She had confessed serious feelings for him. This was a huge blow.  
  
"I would have to think about it."  
  
"Of course. I know you have friends back on earth." She stared into his eyes. "Don't you ever feel anything for me?"  
  
"Yeah," he answered honestly, "but what about Heero? He's all alone and I know he must be going crazy by now." He knew there was more to it than him just worrying about Heero being lonely.  
  
"You said yourself Heero is a friend. You said he sounded fine on the phone. He's a big boy Duo, he can take care of himself."  
  
"I guess." He sighed. He really needed time to think about this. "Just give me time, ok?"  
  
"Sure." She got up and went into her bedroom. Duo sat back on the couch and put his feet on the coffee table. How exactly did he feel about Hilde? He did really like her but something was holding him back. What was it? He needed to take a walk to clear his head. A few weeks ago, not long after he had last spoken with Heero, he had tracked down the rest of the pilots. They were all more than happy to hear from him and wondered what had happened to the two others. Wufei and Sally had gotten married, and had twins on the way. He ran a successful dojo and said he planned to pass it onto any future sons. Trowa and Quatre were writing books together. Trowa turned out to be a great writer and they're books had become very popular in the past year. They had been writing under a pen name and it turned out that Heero and Duo were big fans themselves. Duo had given them all his home phone number and encouraged them to call.  
  
He realized he had walked all the way back to his apartment and still couldn't figure out his feelings for his partner. Something was gnawing at the back of his mind, telling him Hilde was not the way to go. He had always gone with his gut instinct and the feeling told him he needed to go home and see Heero, then figure things out. He had been told he would only be required for another week, and then he could go home. He wanted to see Heero more than anything right then. Just to be able to look at the pilot would be a relief.  
  
~*~  
  
Heero got into the car. He was going to meet his friend in about a half hour at the mall. He smirked at himself. Heero Yuy was going off to meet a complete stranger. The person could be anyone, but he wanted.no, needed to trust someone like this. Last week, to his surprise, he had gotten a call from all of the pilots. They had spoken with Duo and said he had said they should call. Once again, Duo was looking after him. There had been quite a few times during the war when Duo helped him, trusted him when no one else would. He missed Duo so much, he desperately wanted him home. Just to know that he was in the other room. To hear a smart ass remark again would be a great relief.  
  
He pulled into the parking lot. They were going to meet in front of the mall, and let things go from there. He walked through the dark parking lot and stood in front of the lighted entrance. After about five minutes, he saw a figure walking up. The mall was very deserted so he figured it had to be him.  
  
"Solo?"  
  
"Yes, it's me. I'm gla.." His voice trailed off as a gun was pointed at him.  
  
"Shut up."  
  
"What's going on?" Heero let himself slip into Perfect Soldier so he wouldn't panic.  
  
The man smirked. "You don't know me, but I know you Pilot 01."  
  
"So you know who I am." He tried to memorize everything about him.  
  
"Better than you'd know. Your code name is Heero Yuy and you've been living with pilot 02, Duo Maxwell, for some time now. I've come to pay you back."  
  
"Pay me back?" Heero felt frozen to the spot. He hadn't been in this kind of situation in years.  
  
"When you fought in the war, you killed many people. One of those people happened to be my father."  
  
"Listen. I didn-"  
  
"I said shut up." He clenched his teeth in anger. "You know, after my father died my mom took it so bad she decided life wasn't worth living anymore. After that, I was passed around from orphanage to orphanage. I felt like no one wanted me." He smiled. "During that time I did a bit of research. I found out that you were the pilot responsible for making my life fall apart. I've been waiting for this for a very long time. Now its time for justice." He cocked the gun and pulled the trigger.  
  
At first, he felt nothing. Then the second bullet, the pain rushing in. He began to fall as the third bullet hit him in the stomach. Then, nothing. 


	6. Chapter 5

Just a warning but there is cussing in this chapter. Oh yes, and angst.  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Duo grabbed his bag out of the closet and began throwing things into it as fast as he could.   
Hilde stood by the door, arms crossed across her chest.  
  
"Duo, what is this about? You still have another week."  
"Remember my friend? The one I lived with. He's been sho.." He couldn't make   
himself finish the rest. Tears clouded his vision. A sob threatened to break out.   
Quatre had called with the news. He didn't know Heero's condition; all he knew was it was bad and Duo better get back to Earth as soon as possible. 'I shouldn't have left him alone. This never would have happened if I had worked harder to get home.'  
  
"Oh Duo." She walked over to embrace him.  
  
He held up a hand to stop her. "Don't. I just need to pack my things and go. Please tell   
the boss what happened. I'm sure he'll understand."  
  
"Right. Do you need any help packing?"  
  
"Please, Hilde, just leave me alone." She gave him a hurt look and walked out. He turned   
back to his bag and continued packing. Strangely, he had folded everything and put it   
inside very neatly. Finally, he had put as many clothes as he could guess he would need   
and walked out the door. A shuttle, he needed to find a shuttle. He felt frantic.   
Heero's life was hanging in the balance and he was light-years away. He managed to hail a   
taxi.  
  
"The nearest spaceport please." Duo didn't hear the drivers' response. He was in shock.   
How could this happen? Heero was the perfect soldier. He was always so damned careful.   
'I'll kill whoever did this. They'll wish they had never been born when I'm through with   
them.' He couldn't say why he felt so protective over Heero. Yes he could. They were   
friends. He was one of the closest friends Duo had. Yet it was something more. He   
couldn't lose that to some maniac with a gun.  
  
Duo found himself at the ticket purchase counter, saw and heard himself buy a ticket to the   
next shuttle bound for earth, felt himself sit down to wait for his flight, heard his   
flight being called ten minutes later. All of this seemed like an out of body experience.   
He wasn't really doing any of this, he wasn't going back to earth, and Heero wasn't laying   
in a hospital fighting for his life. He boarded the shuttle and let himself get lost in   
the passing stars.  
  
~*~  
  
Quatre sat in a chair in the waiting room. Heero had gone into surgery two hours ago and   
no word had come back from the doctor. He felt Trowas hand in his. They hadn't exactly   
told Wufei there situation, but seeing Quatre and Trowa hugging each other intimately,   
holding hands, didn't seem to surprise him. Sally had stayed home. Wufei practically   
wouldn't let her leave the house due to her 'condition'. Quatre would have smiled if the   
current situation weren't so grim. He had called Duo a few hours ago, shortly before they   
had left on a private jet, picking Wufei up on the way.  
  
The conversation had been very short. Duo had picked up the phone; Quatre told him to sit   
down and then tried to tell him everything he could as calmly as possible. As soon as the   
words were out of his mouth, Duo stated he'd be right there and hung up the phone. Now they   
were just waiting for him to get there.  
  
He leaned back and sighed. Trowa looked over at him. "Do you want me to get you some   
coffee?"  
  
"Yeah, that'd be nice." He smiled at him. Trowa had just left when he spotted a frantic   
looking Duo walking towards him.  
  
"How is he?" He looked as though he wanted to cry, but couldn't bring himself to do it.  
  
"We don't know." He told him honestly. "We're waiting for the doctor to tell us any kind   
of news." He led him over to the chair. He sat down heavily and put his head in his hands.   
"It's all my fault. I shouldn't have left him alone." Tears began to fall into his lap.   
All Quatre could do was to put a hand on his shoulder. A small show of support to his   
friend. It was hard to see Duo like this. The forever joking, optimistic gundam pilot,   
crying. Trowa got back with the coffee, not saying a word as he handed it to Quatre. He   
had gotten one for himself, but placed it next to Duo instead and sat down. Wufei walked   
over and sat down next to him.  
  
"This isn't your fault, Maxwell." Quatre gave him a warning look, but he continued. "No   
one could have prevented it. The man who did it is crazy."  
  
Duo looked up suddenly, tears running down his face. "Who did this? Who is the fucking   
maniac?"  
  
"His name is Edward Vawter." Wufei continued. "We don't know any details, but he has been   
arrested." Duo looked down again and sighed heavily. Quatre went and sat down next to   
Trowa. They sat in silence for some time, Duo still staring at the floor but not really.   
About a half hour later, a doctor walked in. Duo stood up as soon as he saw him. "How is   
he?"  
  
"The surgery went well but he's not out of the woods yet. We'll watch him closely   
overnight. I'm not going to lie, it doesn't look good. He may be in a coma for a while."  
  
Quatre looked over at him. "Can we see him?"  
  
"Only one for the moment." They all looked at Duo.   
  
"Thanks guys. This means a lot. And I don't just mean this. Just being here helps."  
  
"Hey, we fought together." Said Quatre. "We can't just leave each other hanging." Duo   
nodded. He stared at his back as they headed towards the intensive care unit.  
  
~*~  
  
As soon as he walked into the door he wanted to start crying again. Heero was hooked up to   
a mass of machines, all keeping him alive. He was lead to a chair sitting next to the bed,   
the door closed softly behind him. He reached for Heero's hand and held it in his.  
  
"Oh Heero, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have left you all alone for so long. I couldn't   
protect you." He did cry then. The tears falling freely like they did in the waiting room.   
It felt like his entire world was lying in that bed, hanging in the balance. "Don't go.   
You have to fight. If you don't, who's going to smirk at my smart ass comments and tell me   
they're going to kill me?" He wanted Heero to open his eyes and tell him to stop being   
stupid. He had to wake up. Duo felt like he couldn't live without apart from him ever   
again. Hilde was no substitute for Heero. She hadn't shared the same experiences, didn't   
know the burden of having killed hundreds of people and helping each other live through   
that.   
  
Duo Maxwell was not a man who usually prayed. But, at that moment, he found himself asking   
whoever was up there to bring Heero through this. He put his head down on the bed and   
stayed that way until he fell asleep.  
  
TBC 


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6  
  
It had been a week. Heero was in a coma. Duo felt like he had no tears left to shed. He   
had barely left his bedside, never went home. He couldn't go home where there were so many   
reminders of Heero. Reminders of how he had been alone all this time. Vawter had killed   
himself the day after Duo had arrived back on earth. In a way, it hadn't fazed him. He   
was in a state of shock now. Duo had sat in silence as they heard what had happened, how   
Heero happened to meet Vawter. It confirmed his suspicions. Heero had never gone into chat   
rooms when they lived together. It was all his fault. After he had heard the news, he went   
back to the hotel room and cried himself to sleep.  
  
Quatre and Trowa were still there. Wufei had to get back home to Sally. They were being   
incredibly supportive. More than he had expected really. They had allowed Duo access to   
their hotel room and always seemed to know when he needed to be alone or needed to be around   
someone. He hadn't said much the past week. Before, it was like he had so much to tell the   
world. Now he was so wrapped up in his thoughts he barely said a word.  
  
Duo was sitting next to Heero's bedside, just watching him. Watching his chest rise and   
fall in that rhythmic pattern, holding his hand. All he wanted was to see those eyes open.   
He didn't care how long the recovery was; they would get through it together. The doctors   
had no clue how long it would be before he woke up. They said he was still unstable. Duo   
hoped with everything he had that Heero would come out of this.  
  
"Heero. Please, wake up. Everyone's waiting for you here, so come on. I don't want to   
lose you. I've learned something this past week. You are more important to me than   
anything in the whole world. I love you Heero Yuy. I love you more than I've loved anyone.   
And, damn it, you need to wake up so you can hear that." Tears began falling down his face   
again. "I want to grow old with you and take walks in the parks and go on dates. We can't   
do that if you're here, lying in this bed. So come on." He heard the door open behind him. It was Trowa.  
  
"Duo, you look beat. Maybe you should go get some sleep at the hotel."  
  
He sighed. "Yeah, you're right." He turned to look at him. "Thanks again. You and Quatre   
are really helping" Trowa nodded. Duo walked out the door and headed towards the hotel.   
He barely made it inside before he collapsed on the bed and fell into a dreamless sleep.  
  
~*~  
  
Heero walked on a forested path. Where was he? How had he gotten here? All he knew was   
that something was waiting for him at the end. He kept walking.  
  
~*~  
  
Duo woke up the next morning. He took a shower and was getting ready to go back to the   
hospital when the door opened. Quatre walked in and looked Duo right in the eyes.  
  
"What? Did something happen?"  
  
"Maybe you should sit down."  
  
Duo slowly sat on the bed; Quatre sat next to him. It felt like hours until he finally   
spoke up. "Duo...last night. Heero had some complications and they had to rush him back   
into surgery."  
  
"Quatre, what are you trying to tell me?"  
  
"He didn't make it through." Duo just stared at him. Then it hit him like a ton of bricks.  
  
"What? NO! There was a mistake! It wasn't Heero. Heero is not dead!" Tears fell down   
his face. "Heero can't be dead. I have to tell him.." He put his face in his hands. He   
began shaking. He had never been this emotional in his life. But as soon as the words were   
out of Quatres mouth, Duo Maxwell's world came crashing down around him. Never would he be   
able to tell Heero that he loved him. Never would he see him again. He cried for what   
seemed like hours, but the clock registered only 30 minutes when the tears finally slowed.   
He grabbed his bag and began putting his clothes in.  
  
"Duo, you don't have to go home. You can stay here longer."  
  
"I need to do this Quatre. Please, just let me go." Quatre nodded and Duo walked out the   
door.  
  
The sun was bright. Birds were singing. That didn't seem fair. Why should Duo get to hear   
birds singing when Heero would never again? Why should Duo get to look at the clouds when   
Heero was gone? He managed to keep it together all the way back to the apartment. As soon   
as the door closed behind him he fell on the couch. God, it smelled like Heero. He just   
laid there and stared at the ceiling, the tears falling but he didn't really recognize them.   
He laid that way when the phone rang; he laid that way until the sun had gone down and the   
stars came out. He lay that way until unconsciousness took him over. He was still there   
when his stomach woke him up. How long had it been since he ate? He didn't know. He   
walked towards the kitchen, clean. Heero never left a dirty kitchen. He smiled sadly to   
himself and rummaged through the refrigerator. Grabbed a coke and some chips and sat down   
on the couch again. He let himself get lost in TV.   
  
~*~  
  
The funeral was a few days later. Trowa and Quatre had come to visit him the day before.   
Hilde had called but he didn't have anything to say to her. Duo went to the funeral; all   
the pilots were there. Relena was there. Everyone they had been involved with during the   
war was there. Everyone they had worked with was there. It was a closed casket ceremony.   
Duo didn't cry then. He was finished crying. He was quiet again; not saying much to anyone.   
The funeral ended, he went home. He sat on the couch he spent so much of his time on. 'I'm   
so sorry, Heero. I left you alone and killed you. I suppose I really am death...'  
  
He closed his eyes and fell asleep and dreamt of Heero and himself walking down a forested   
path...together. In this dream, he didn't have to say goodbye. He wanted it to last   
forever. 


	8. Epilogue

Epilogue  
  
It had been a year now. Duo had gone back to work. They had to assign him a new partner   
and to his surprise it was Hilde. She had come to earth and Duo wondered if it was more   
than coincidence that she had been assigned to him. Slowly but surely he was turning back   
into the optimistic man he had once been. But, everyday when he came home, the apartment   
was empty. Duo hadn't set foot in Heero's room. He couldn't get himself to do it.   
  
He came home and put his keys on the table next to the door. It had been a long day. It   
was the anniversary of that day that seemed so long ago yet seemed like yesterday. He   
crouched down next to the cabinet and rummaged around until he pulled out what he had been   
looking for. It was a photo album covered in dust. He sat down at the kitchen table and   
began looking through it. Pictures of Heero, pictures of Duo and some of them together. He   
shed no outside tears, but stared sadly at the pictures. He regretted every day that they   
had not spent together. Duo had let Heero die and now he was paying the price for it.  
  
He closed the album and stared at the hallway for a moment. Then went into Heero's room.   
It was exactly how he remembered it. The bed made perfectly, everything neatly put away.   
Duo sat down on the bed and began crying outwardly. "It's all my fault. I realize my   
foolishness now. I would give anything to have you back." He lay down and closed his eyes,   
letting himself get lost in the tale tell scent of Heero.  
  
Who do you want back?  
  
Heero  
  
Why?  
  
To tell him that I love him and never take another day for granted  
  
He felt arms encircling him. No it wasn't. It couldn't be. Why was he being tormented   
even further? It smelled like him. Oh God it was the strongest it had ever been. He   
smelled like everything exhilarating and good. Duo reached up, not daring to open his eyes.   
His hands felt a chest, reaching up even further felt hair that would be just his length.   
"Duo, look at me."  
  
He dared to open his eyes. Cobalt blue was there to greet him. "Heero..."  
  
"Duo I love you."  
  
"Heero. But ho..." He didn't care. All he knew was that Heero was right there, next to   
him. "I love you. I love you so much." He grabbed him, holding on to him. He would never   
let him go. 'Please God, let this moment last forever.'  
  
"I know Duo. I heard you. All those times you were talking to me at the hospital I heard   
you."  
  
"I meant it. I want to go on dates and see bad movies with you. I'm never letting you go   
again."  
  
"Ashiteru Duo." He leaned to kiss him for the very first time. He wanted that kiss to last an   
eternity....  
  
Owari 


End file.
